Simchowitz is hardly the only art world figure who thrives on insincere indignation and aggressive persecution complex. As with the critic Jerry Saltz, self-absorbed outrage amplified by social media have become an effective method of self-promotion.

Everybody needs a gimmick, but we shouldn’t let that distract us from the fact that critics and collectors — speculative or otherwise — are defined not by their umbrage but by their track records over time.